


heart strings, violins

by CiCiIvory



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Playlist, canon drinking, i'll add more as they come up okay?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-21 20:25:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8259532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CiCiIvory/pseuds/CiCiIvory
Summary: collection of shorts featuring nursey, dex, and the music that would be on the playlist of their lives.





	1. final song // mø

**Author's Note:**

> characters, check please! belongs to ngozi.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **i.[final song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUcXQ--yGWQ) // _mø_**

**i. so hear me out before you say the night is over, i want you to know, we gotta, gotta carry on - don’t let this be our final song**

The bass made the walls shake in the Haus and Dex stood against the wall, the vibrations from the dirty, hip hop song echoing in the living room-turned-dance floor.

The kegster was a success, a good pre-season one arranged by the captains, so to speak. Everyone seemed to be having the time of their life. Dex watched the bodies move in time (or attempted to move in time) with the music. Dex felt someone slide up next to him, bumping his shoulders in the only way that Derek Malik Nurse could do. “You can’t be that drunk, can you?”

“I would bump into you sober,” Nursey said with a laugh. Dex rolled his eyes and scowled. “Besides, I think Nursey Patrol might be retired - have you heard of Whiskey Watch?”

“I’m pretty sure I just watched him grind with three female basketball players and two Lax Bros,” Dex responded, laughing to himself.

“Have you been isolating yourself against the wall, Poindexter?”

Dex shrugged, mumbling, “Maybe,” as Nursey’s jaw dropped. “I just... I don’t dance very well, so I kind of have just been here.”

“That’s probably because you don’t have a partner. I thought Farmer made you go to clubs?”

Dex shook his head, “Not after the time she blacked out and Chowder about killed me for letting her drink her weight in vodka. Now we just go to sports bars and watch basketball together.”

“Dex, come on, after this song, we’re dancing. I think the rap section is done and it’s Chowder and mine’s picks.”

Soon enough, the song stopped and the opening chords of some bubblegum pop song Dex had heard Chowder attempt to sing in the showers began to pour out of the speakers. “I don’t dance, Nurse,” Dex repeated.

“That’s a lie, I remember the Epic Kegster 2k15, you were a menace on the dance floor.” Pulling Dex towards the dance floor, Nursey added, “Besides, the way you moved your ass - you put the cheerleaders and the dance club to shame.”

Dex turned bright red. “Cut it out, Nursey, you don’t mean it.”

“Of course I do, Dex,” he insisted. “Now come on, let’s show those soccer boys how to really cut a rug.”

Pulling him towards the center where Farmer and Chowder were dancing together, singing loudly with Tango nearby, looking a bit flushed and frazzle. Dex watched Nursey start moving, and he had to resist the urge to dance. Nursey busted out some terrible moves during these kegsters.

“Come on, Dex! I even put on a song on this playlist, just for you!”

Dex slowly began to move to the beat, keeping his actions small enough not to draw attention or bump into any nearby bodies, but Nursey wasn’t having it. By the time Ke$ha began to belt out through the speakers, Nursey had taken Dex’s hands and was twirling around him. Farmer and Chowder, between stolen kisses, dance around them and cheer the two on. Dex is more into it as time passes (and after two beers fetched by Tango), but the lingering thoughts of homework persist in the back of his mind.

“Hey, I’m gonna walk back to our dorm,” he shouts over the music to Nursey, who is jokingly trying to grind on a confused Tango. “Do you have to stay?”

“What? No! Your song has started!”

The Ke$ha song stops and a soft, chord begins to play, followed by synthesized trills. Dex wrinkles his nose. “Final Song? That’s your song for me?”

“You learned it on guitar for me!” Nursey slurs in response. “Come on, one more dance! And sing it for me!”

“I fucking love this song!” Farmer screams over Nursey, placing her hands on Chowder’s shoulders as she begins to move her hips slowly. Tango has found some other volleyball freshman who offers to dance with him. Nurse winks at Dex and Dex rolls his eyes.

“Fine, but I’m not singing.”

Contrary to what he says, he ends up singing along with Farmer (”We need to do karaoke and you and I need to do this, William!” she screams) and he notices Nursey dancing as close to him, almost with him. Dex can feel the heat rise in his cheeks as Nursey’s hands finally grab his hips, pulling him closer. He mouths, _don’t let this be our final song_ , and Dex rolls his eyes, trying to play it off as drunk, affectionate Nursey being exactly that - drunk and affectionate.

Dex dances with him because he’s his friend, teammate, roommate - his d-line partner. The fact Nursey insists this is Dex’s song makes him flush harder, but he’s lucky the dance floor is hot and he can just act like he’s not blushing.

When the song reaches the last time through the chorus, they give it their all. Dex feels his voice start to slip away. When the song ends, everyone cheers loudly. Chowder and Farmer sneak up to his room and Tango asks to walk back with Dex. Nursey frowns, begs him to stay.

“One more dance?”

“I want to get sleep, Nurse, I’ll see you in the morning. We live in the same dorm room,” Dex explains.

“Okay, but next time, you’re dancing all night with me!”

Dex rolls his eyes, assuming he’ll be too drunk to remember that and just nods, taking Tango out of the front of the Haus as the freshman recalls everything that happened to him. Dex drops him off at his dorm, then treks back to his dorm, humming the song over and over in his head.


	2. shut up kiss me // angel olsen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **ii.[shut up kiss me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nleRCBhLr3k) // _angel olsen_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just trying to do these two tracks at a time.

**ii. even if you walk around as though you think you’re right, at your worst i still believe it’s worth the fight**

Dinner was quiet.

Their first roadie of the season ended with a hard loss. They fought tooth and nail, took a few checks that were harder than normal, and even almost had a scrum (courtesy of William J. Poindexter, local hockey hothead).

Yet, it was still a hard loss.You do what you could and then it just all comes down in a 2-1 defeat that maybe if you hadn’t been so aggressive you couldn’t play for the last three minutes or had maybe did you job a bit fucking better-

“You’re really tense,” Chowder finally says with a whisper, leaning closer to Dex so he doesn’t distract from Holster and Whiskey’s half-ass attempts to get the group to laugh. “You okay?”

“No, I’m not.”

“You checked that one guy really hard...”

“I cost the game.”

“You so didn’t, dude.”

Ransom looked over at Holster after interrupting Chowder and Dex’s side conversation. Nursey sent Dex a sideways glance and Holster finally cleared his throat. “It’s not an ideal start, but we’re still doing alright. We’re figuring it out, and this is a team sport. A loss is a loss, but we all learn from it, and we build on it.”

“Like poetry, bro,” Ransom said after the speech, sniffling slightly as he wiped his eyes.

Dex rolled his eyes, standing up. “I want to go back to my room, I’m not hungry anymore.” As he pushes his chair in, Nursey stands up as well, setting his napkin down on his almost empty plate.

“I’ll come with, I’m kind of tired after the game. See you in the morning, gentlemen and lady.”

Lardo mumbles something about ‘keeping an eye on him’ and Dex fights back the urge to slam the chair against the table. Nursey follows behind him as they make their way to the elevator. “Hey, calm down, unless you want your face to match your hair.”

“I’m not in the fucking mood,” Dex snaps.

“Chill, Poindexter, you heard Holster.”

“It doesn’t make it any better, so don’t tell me to fucking chill.”

Nursey holds up his hands as the door opens to the third floor. They make their way down the hall to the block of rooms reserved for the hockey team and get to their door. “I’ll put on some good, relaxing shit. It’ll help you...”

“So help me, if you fucking say chill...”

“Dex,” Nursey says. Dex waits for the impending _chill_ , but it doesn’t happen. Dex kicks off his shoes once the door is open and makes his way over to the bed closest to the window. Nursey closes the door behind him and sits down on the bed next to the door.

“You’re a great player because you play with your emotions, but sometimes, you lose,” Nursey finally says.

“You know, if I wanted a lecture, I’d have stayed at dinner just to let Ransom and Holster do it. Why do you keep pressing this issue? I’m done talking about it.”

“You’re just an angry guy, William Jonathan.”

“Do _not_  call me that.” Dex was fuming. “Whatever you’re trying to do is not making me feel better.”

“Would I kiss make you feel better?”

Dex’s heart had stopped. He was certain that he had gone into cardiac arrest because his heart wasn’t beating and his lungs weren’t working and he just wasn’t thinking. He could see just fine - he saw Nursey get up and move over to his bed. He watched Nursey place his hand on top of his.

“Do I need to repeat myself, Poindexter? Would a kiss make you feel better?”

“You can’t just say shit like that!” His mouth moved before his brain could catch up. Nursey smirks. “Seriously, like, what about Soccer Boy? You met him at that one party and you both hang out and...”

“Calvin and I went on two dates, but it wasn’t going to work.” Nursey waves off the question.

“Okay but, like... you don’t just say that! What about the team? What about school and college and your family and...”

“Will,” Nursey says. “Shut up and kiss me. I’m surprised you didn’t realize at the pre-season kegster I was flirting with you.”

“You were?”

“I tried to grind on you, I dedicated a song to you... Jesus, you’re dense.”

Dex wrinkles his nose. “Shut up, Derek.”

“Then kiss me, you fucking hothead.”

Dex leans in, capturing Derek’s lips in a kiss, just as he was asked to do so.


	3. ugh! // the 1975

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **iii.[ugh!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXaU0QzByIM) // _the 1975_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a while, i got busy, but here we are. idk what happened in this, but i can't make anything nice and this is a mess.

**iii. this conversation's not about reciprocation no more, but I'm gon' wait until you finish so I can talk some more**

So, their feelings are mutual and everything. That’s pretty cool. They act like friends and teammates around everyone else and when they’re alone they kiss and touch but nothing overtly sexual because Dex can feel the Big Gay Panic of the 2015-2016 School Year might happen at any time.

It starts to happen all too soon and the only person he can even think to turn to is Caitlin Farmer.

“We’re a thing but I don’t know if I’m ready to be a thing, you know? I don’t think I’m ready to admit I’m gay.”

“You’ve admitted it to me since freshman year, Willy Jay.”

Dex cringes as Farmer laughs, muttering, “Caitlin Nicole-Rae Farmer, I’m dead serious.”

“If you like him, then what’s the issue? You know the team doesn’t have an issue with homosexuality and you _know_  that if you and Derek were to announce your partnership, everyone would lose their collective shit, and also, it makes you happy.”

Dex hates how Farmer was always right. Is always right. She knows it too. He huffs. “But what about when I go home for Thanksgiving? Christmas? My family is waiting for me to bring the perfect girlfriend home so they can give her their blessing for me to propose and what happens when I come with a boy.”

Caitlin wrinkles her nose. Dex sighs loudly, knowing that Caitlin had come from a similar-ish circumstance, but not entirely. She shrugs finally. “I don’t know, Dex, I can’t tell you what to do for your relationship.”

Nursey comes back after Farmer has left their dorm room and greets Dex with a kiss, but Dex pushes him away. “I can’t.”

“That’s fine, whenever you’re in the mood.”

“No, I can’t date you.”

And that sets Nursey off, as Dex assumed it would’ve. They scream and argue and Nursey says Dex needs to check his internalized homophobia and Dex says Nursey is insensitive and it gets so bad Dex basically kicks his desk chair across the room and it’s bad enough that Nursey is pissed and leaves for the night.

Dex stays up fixing the desk chair when Nursey comes back with hickeys on his neck and looks like he had a lot of sex the night before. Dex loses his shit (again), breaks his chair (again), and finally just tells Nursey it’s off.

He regrets it because he likes Nursey a lot, so he shuts everyone out. Farmer tries to get ahold of him multiple times and he flat out ignores her. He only talks to his teammates in practice and that’s it. On the ice, he plays alright, but his chemistry with Nursey is shit and they narrowly escape two losses at home because of how disconnected they are. Nobody wants to say anything, until it gets bad enough Chowder is set off and storms into Dex’s dorm room.

“You have a lot of fucking explaining to do, William!” Dex looks up from the Spanish book in his lap, muting his laptop as he streamed a Celtics-Bulls game. “You can fucking ignore me all you want - I don’t care, but you cannot treat Caitlin like shit and you cannot keep fucking up the team chemistry.”

“Nice to see you too, Chowder,” he deadpans.

“Don’t give me that shit, William.”

“I have my reasons.”

Chowder crosses his arms and Dex knows the goalie means business. “Fuck your reasons. You can be moody and whiny all you want, but when it starts to affect our team...”

Dex rolls his eyes. Chowder means well but he’s angry and it makes Dex defensive. “What happened between you and Nursey?”

Dex sputters and Chowder shrugs. “You two fight a lot now and Caitlin told me you guys got into so bad you fucked up your desk chair, twice. She didn’t tell me anything else.”

It’s Chowder, so he should be comfortable telling him, one of his best friends, but he just can’t bring himself to be honest just yet. “Conflicting interest, I guess.”

“Conflicting interest?” Chowder isn’t buying it. “I swear, if this is about the dumbass Knicks and Celtics thing you guys argued about before...”

“It’s not, it’s uh, of the relationship type.”

“Like whether or not you two are gonna be friends? I thought you worked out that shit.” Chowder still is glaring down at Dex as he closes his textbook.

What Dex wants to say: _Nursey admitted to having a thing for me and I have one for him but I panicked and we kinda broke up and then he slept with someone else and I got mad and now I’m shutting everyone out because I don’t know what to do about my Big Gay Crisis and my feelings for Nursey._

What Dex actually says: “It’s complicated to explain.”

Chowder frowns and finally sits down across from Dex in Nursey’s chair. “Dex, we’re best friends. You know you can trust me.”

Chowder’s become less aggressive and Dex knows it’s in an attempt to actually listen to this problem. Dex still can’t bring himself to say anything and he shrugs. Chowder’s frown becomes more defined and Dex just shakes his head.

“Shit happens, Chow. People get mad and fight and sometimes say and do things they can’t take back, when really, they didn’t mean it and want the exact opposite of what they say.”

“Is this about Nursey sleeping with other people?”

“Are you suggesting I’m jealous?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Dex scowls and Chowder shrugs. Dex wants to protest and tell him he’s so straight but he can’t bring himself to lie like that. Chowder crosses his arms, asking, “Do you like him?”

Dex inhales. “Yeah.” Dex exhales.

“He likes you too.”

“I know, we kind of dated. Or something.”

Chowder doesn’t react to that, like he knew that was the case. “Farmer didn’t tell me,” he says, as if he read Dex’s mind. “I had an inkling. I’m not that oblivious. What happened?”

“I freaked, broke it off, we fought, he slept with other people, I got mad, we fought more.”

“Why’d you break it off if you like him?”

“Because I’m ashamed of myself and I can’t subject Nursey to my big, homophobic family.” Dex feels like Chowder should go into psychology or something, because the way he is manipulating Dex to answer these questions just by the look he gives and the fact that he even got Dex to talk at all is mind-blowing.

Chowder stands up. “Okay, so, I can’t tell you how to deal with your family, but I can tell you that you like him, he likes you, and you broke it off and regret it. So, I think you know what you need to do.”

Dex nods and knows that he can’t give up on this, not yet. It’s been a few weeks, so it’s far too early to crash and burn. Chowder smiles as he walks over to Dex, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“I’m here for you, and Farmer, and the team, and in the end, Derek would give you all his internal organs, if you needed it. He’s mad about you, and we all know you’re mad about him, so just... make right?”

“Yeah,” Dex admits. “Yeah, I will.”


	4. r u mine? // arctic monkeys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **iv.[r u mine?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngzC_8zqInk) // _arctic monkeys_**

**iv. diamond could've shaped heartaches; come to find you four in some velvet morning years too late**

“Happy Halloween, Dexy,” Caitlin cheers from the porch as she waves towards him. Dex is blown away by Caitlin’s costume - a black bodysuit, fishnet stockings, and thigh high boots with a red cape, her hair tied half-up with a red ribbon. Chowder howled loudly as a joke, his wolf ears falling from his head.

“Look, Dex came as a ghost! Since, ya know, he’s been gone for weeks.”

Dex rolled his eyes as Tango gave him an unsure smile. He ruffled the tadpole’s hair. “It’s been rough, had my own shit to deal with, so...”

“Nice boots, didn’t know you were a farmer.”

Dex grinned, flashing the cowboy boots at the trio on the porch. “It was the cheapest costume, considering i only had to buy the straw hat. My brother had cowboy boots because when he went off to an SEC school, he thought everyone was a cowboy and it would attract a wife.”

“Funny,” Caitlin says as she flicked his hat. “Let’s go get you a drink.”

“I need to find Nursey. He’s not shitfaced, is he?”

Caitlin and Chowder exchange worried looks as Tango hums in thought. “He’s not even here yet. He said later, with his date.” Caitlin didn’t even try to hide her groan and Chowder just shook his head. “What?”

“Tony, shut up.” Chowder grabs Dex and pulls him inside. They crack a beer, Dex makes his social rounds, and about two hours later, Nursey shows up, dressed in some superhero getup, with some guy following in tow. Dex downs the rest of his second beer.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Is now a good idea?”

“Yeah, it is.” Dex pushes past Chowder as he follows Nursey to the flip cup table. Lardo blinks and smirks as she taps Nursey’s shoulder. Nursey turns around and frowns, but Dex forces a smile.

“Nurse, hey. Uh...”

“Hello, Dex.”

“Can we talk?” His voice is low and Nursey shrugs. “I mean, if you don’t wanna, that’s...”

“Out back.”

Dex feels Nursey take his hand and lead him towards the back yard. They reach the porch, which is currently empty. Dex sighs, sitting down as Nursey just hovers above him, glaring. “I’m sorry, Derek. I panicked...”

“Okay.”

“And like, it’s not fair to you. And I like you a lot. And I know you like - er, used to like - me a lot, too. And I wasn’t fair and I freaked out because I wasn’t living up to the expectation I set for myself...”

“That you aren’t straight?” Nursey spat. Dex slowly nodded.

“Nursey, you have every right to be pissed and not forgive me.”

“Thanks, I didn’t need your permission.”

Dex resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I panicked and that’s not an excuse, it just sucks that I feel like... I just needed support and I mean I told Caitlin and of course she was happy and Chowder knows about us - or what we used to be - and uh, he was happy... but like I needed to get my shit together. Also, like, who wants to date a boy with a temper like mine.”

Nursey quirks an eyebrow. “I mean, I live with you, so if I was really concerned about your temper...”

“Sorry about the whole chair throwing and kicking and... that wasn’t cool... _chill_ , even.”

When Nursey doesn’t even snort in response, Dex inhales. “Uh, that’s it. I wanted to say I was sorry and that like, I had a Big Gay Crisis even though I’ve been out to Caitlin for almost two years and like, I’ve dated guys... but then like the idea of telling my family scares me.”

Nursey says nothing still and Dex just shrugs, forcing himself to his feet. He turns and Nursey’s beautiful, green eyes are just staring him down and he gulps. He nods and turns around. Nursey grabs Dex’s arm and Dex is wondering if for the minute he’s going to get punched or kissed.

Nursey lets go and Dex inhales. “Are you mine, Poindexter?”

“What?”

“I just need to hear it from you. If you want a second chance, you’re gonna be mine, just mine, right? No freakouts that lead to impromptu breakups?”

“Woah, hold the fucking phone!” Dex turns around, glaring daggers at Nursey. “You’re the one who went and fucked some randoms-!”

“Because you didn’t want me.”

“That’s unhealthy.”

“So is the way you deal with your temper.” Dex watched Nursey smirk a little. “I promise to be yours if you’re mine.”

Dex steps closer and Nursey steps closer as well. Dex sighs. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr](http://ciciives.tumblr.com/), fam. updating when i can, being a busy ass double major with a social life sucks.


End file.
